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Saturday, February 16, 2013

Waxwings!!!!

Had a great day out in TQ1960 today - no rain, no snow, not cold, not too many people out there. Sweet. Undoubted highlight (for me) was finally adding Waxwing to my Patch List. It's taken over 26 years and typically I was under tree cover, so only heard them trilling low overhead. But thats a blank box filled with a tick on my BUBOListing Patch List so I'm happy.

Various logs were rolled, bits of loose bark peeled and tussocks peered into. I even did a spot of sweep-netting (which was a waste of time) for the first time this year.

As is the nature of this Challenge, I explored a dense area of wet woodland that I ordinarily bypass. Pretty much a quagmire and tricky to push through the low branches and bramble patches but worth it as I discovered a patch of Betony (previously unknown in this square) and 15 Scarlet Elf Caps which were lifers for me. Cool!!

A bit more moss was tried under the microscope. Most was put aside for another night but Cirriphyllum piliferum was a new one for me whilst Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus was new for the year.